Barradell: A Great Occasion Awaits In PL Cup
- LCFC Training Ground is set to host U18 Premier League Cup Semi-Final
- Leicester City’s Under-18s entertain Fulham in a 7pm kick-off on Wednesday
- Coach Adam Barradell previewed the last-four tie with the Cottagers
- He is confident that the young Foxes will turn the tide in the coming weeks
The young Foxes host the Cottagers in a 7pm kick-off at LCFC Training Ground, aiming to reach the final of the 2021/22 competition after defeating Brighton & Hove Albion in the previous round.
City made it to the last eight of the FA Youth Cup before bowing out at Manchester United earlier this term and Barradell is keen to see the group test themselves once more against tough opponents.
“They are great occasions and we’ve had a lot of great games this year,” City’s coach told LCFC.com ahead of the last-four clash. “Obviously, the Youth Cup run that we had, some really good games in the league and in the semi-final on Wednesday, we’ll be looking to progress and get through.”
After a 5-1 triumph over Stoke City, Chelsea await the winners of this tie and while Leicester are currently without victory in five across all competitions, there is still plenty of positives to take from the campaign, according to Barradell.
He continued: “I think the boys did excellently earlier on in the season to put that [13 game] unbeaten run together. It’s not easy to get that consistency of performance at youth level. So, the boys did absolutely fantastically to do that.
“Although the results have not been there for us [recently], the performance level has, so hopefully if we can just execute technically in the final third better, then the results will come in the next couple of games.
“The progression of some of the individual players at the moment is pleasing. Obviously, we’ve got boys playing regularly in the Under-23s from the Under-18s and we’re starting to now see the integration from some of the Under-16s coming up with the Under-18s. There’s a lot of good development and pleasing work happening.”
The two sides sit level on points in the U18 Premier League South table as things stands, with the Cottagers ahead on goal difference having won their last three games, but it was the Foxes who came out on top when the teams last met in Seagrave, courtesy of Jack Butterfill’s late winner.
Barradell added: “We’ll look at Fulham as we do with every team we play. We’re meticulous in our work, we’ll look at what the opposition do, but we’ll also focus on ourselves and putting our game model and stamp on the game. But we know Fulham, we know them well having played them this year already earlier on in the season.”